A ‘passport’ for Art Camp

Nearly 70 students in grades 3-12 attended Art Camp at Memorial Hall, held July 22-26.

Students created a variety of projects using the theme “Passport” during Art Camp, held last week at Memorial Hall’s Anna Bier Gallery in Greenville.

GREENVILLE – Nearly 70 Darke County students in grades 3-12 gathered for the fifth annual Arts Week, held during the week of July 22-26. The event was held at Memorial Hall in the Darke County Center for the Arts’ Anna Bier Art Gallery.

This year’s theme was “Passports,” with students creating artworks inspired by various countries around the world.

Elementary students took exploratory journeys through Mexico, Japan, China, and Egypt while junior high and high school students took notes from Peru, Mexico, India, and Thailand.

Students in grades 3-6 were divided into two groups for the morning camp with art teachers Sarah Sutter, elementary art teacher at Versailles Elementary School and Julie Brewer, Arts Week Coordinator and middle school art teacher at Greenville Middle School. Grades 7-12 were split into two groups for the afternoon camp with Brewer and her mother, Christine Brewer. Teachers were very impressed with how well the students took the ideas presented to them and made them their own.

“We threw a lot of options out there for students to try out this week, things you might not always get to try in a regular art class setting, and the kids did an amazing job picking up on the new materials, techniques, and influences and transforming these into their own creative works,” Julie Brewer said. Teachers also were impressed by how respectful students were about working in a space with carpet and nicer surroundings than where the camp has previously been held.

Brewer shared, “At past camps, we’ve had tile floor, old tables and chairs, and we haven’t needed to be too careful about spills and messes. At the beginning of the week, we teachers were very concerned about how students would do being on carpet with nicer furniture, but they really made us proud of how respectful and thoughtful they were about the shared space. We even had kids going back into the bathrooms to wipe out sinks. We are very grateful to the Greenville School District for allowing us to use the space.”

The week culminated in an art opening on Friday evening with family and friends coming to celebrate the arts. The Anna Bier Gallery was wall-to-wall with student projects – an explosion of creativity.

This year’s camp was sponsored by grants and donations from The Darke County Endowment for the Arts, Rotary Club of Greenville, Greenville National Bank, The Brown Family Foundation, Tom and Barbara Menke, Johnston Chiropractic Clinic, Francis Furniture, Keller Grain & Feed, Larry and Doris Aultman, and Cavalier Clothing.

Nearly 70 students in grades 3-12 attended Art Camp at Memorial Hall, held July 22-26.

https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/07/web1_USE-Art-Camp-group.jpgNearly 70 students in grades 3-12 attended Art Camp at Memorial Hall, held July 22-26.

Students created a variety of projects using the theme “Passport” during Art Camp, held last week at Memorial Hall’s Anna Bier Gallery in Greenville.

https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/2019/07/web1_Use-Art-Camp-girls.jpgStudents created a variety of projects using the theme “Passport” during Art Camp, held last week at Memorial Hall’s Anna Bier Gallery in Greenville.